Ruling guide for artists&#39; pens



March 25, 1952 R. F. GEORGEv 2,590,243

RULING GUIDE FOR ARTISTS' PENS Filed June 22, 1945 ZSHEETS-SHEET l INVENTOR ROSS F. GEORGE ATTRNEYS March 25, 1952 R, F, GEORGE 2,590,243

RULING GUIDE FOR ARTISTS' PENS Filed June 22, 1945 IN VEN T 0R ROSS F. GEORGE ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 25, 1952 UNITED STATES FATET FFICE RULINGGUIDE FOR ARTISTS PENS Ross F. George, Seattle, lVash.

Application June 22, 1945, SerialNo. 600,999

The,k present invention relates to pens for artists use,l particularly for lettering, showcard writing, or engrossing, of the general type shown inpmy prior Patents Nos. 1,592,197 of July 13, 1926, 1,747,7 01 of February 18, 193G, 1,877,295 of September 13, 1932, and 2,104,479 of January 4, 1933.

InY the normal use of such pens it not infrequently happens that as, the work progresses the user desires to draw a ruled line, whether a straight or a curved line by means of a straightedge or'template, but., does not wish to postpone this,l nor to clean the penne is using, ink a ruling pen,V clean the latter, and then ink the original pen before proceeding. He wants to rule the line with the same pen he is then using. Commerciallyavailable pens and feeders have enabled this, toa degree, at least, but have had the drawback that they closely embrace the pens nibs adjacent the writing tip (being constructed in this respect like the feeder. of the Henry Patent No..1,390, 20 of September 13, 1921), and hence prevent any appreciable spreading or flexibility of the nibs. Thisl makes. of the pen neither a ruling pen to draw a line of precisely uniform width, nor yet al pen having` sufficient flexibility to allow the artist to express himself with shadings that emphasize the dominant feature of an illustration. The most that can` be said for such a hybridV pen is that the. ruled line 'can be drawn whenreached or required, without the necessity of laying down the artists pen and picking up and applying inl: toa ruling pen,. or, alternatively, of going back over the dried' work to add in the ruled lines later with a ruling pen; the artist'has available in one pen a free-hand pen and a ruling pen, but unfortunately it becomes neither a goody ruling pen nor a good artists pen.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide such a pen, partaking of the characteristics' of" a ruling pen and of anartists pen, and in particular having a reservoir-forming attachment, which yet has all the flexibility desired', sc that't-he ruling guide doesnot or need not restrict nor im-pairitsv usev as a flexible artists pen, nor alterV theoperation of the reservoir attachment.

More specifically, it is an object to provide such a ruling guide which may be associated with an underfeeder or with an overfeeder, or with both, ori, in1one` form, withaY combined overand'underfeeder;- and to provide such a ruling guide in association with-V a feeder attachment, so formed that not only is the flexibility of the pen nibs substantiallyV unimpaired, but blotting, due to such flexing and to the cooperation ofthe feeder and ruling guide therewithL will not in itself induceblottingbeneath the pen` tip.

Claims.

It is also an object to provide such a ruling guide which may be adjustable towards and from the edge of the pen nib, for a right handed or left handed artist, or both, so that the spacing4 between the straightedge and the path of the pens writing tip may be varied to suit the desires of the user.

It is a further object to devise and apply such ay ruling guide in conjunction with a feeder especially adapted for use with heavy ink, and

by such adaptation particularly susceptible of' blotting if used to draw a ruled line, in such manner and so formed that the ruling guide not only performs its primary end, as indicated above, but also cooperates with the especially adapted form (or with any other form) to better retain the ink supply in position and condition for use. In conjunction with an attachment such as this, or in conjunction with the feeder itself it is an object so to form it as to improve its flexibility, particularly as to its tip portion and its cooperation with a pen having flexible nibs.

With these and other objects in mind, as will appear as this specification progresses, my invention comprises the novel reservoir attachment, and

the novel ruling guide in association with a pen, particularly one with flexible split nibs, as shown in the accompanying drawings, described in this specification and as will be more particularly dened by the claims which terminate the same.

In the accompanying drawings my invention is shown embodied in various representative forms.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of such a pen and feeder in position of use and in association with a straightedge.

Figure 2 is a top plan View, Figure 3 a bottom plan View, and Figure 4 a central longitudinal section through the form of reservoir attachment and ruling guide which is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3A is a bottom plan view of a slight modification of the form shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4.

Figure y5 is a top plan View of a somewhat simplified form of reservoir and ruling guide.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view, and Figure 7 a side elevation, of the tip portion of a further modified form.

Figure 8 is a perspective view, similar toA Figure l, of a further modification involving a combined overand underfeeder with a ruling guide, and Figure 9 is a bottom plan view thereof.

Figure 10 is a side elevation of an overfeeder incorporating a simple form of ruling guide, and Figure 11 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 12 is a side elevational View similar to Figure 10, showing what is considered the simplest form of the ruling guide, in association with an overfeeder.

Figure 13 is a central longitudinal sectional view, similar to Figure 4, but illustrating a feeder particularly adapted to handle heavy inks, and showing how the ruling guide cooperates in the retention of such ink in position ready for use.

Figure 14 is a bottom plan view of this form.

Figure 15 shows the invention applied to a different style of pen.

At the outset it should be pointed out that it is immaterial whether the feeder` be attached to the pen permanently, slidably, hingedly, or otherwise. Where the feeder is intended to be hingedly attached, as in Figures 1, 2, 3, 3A, and 14, there is illustrated a form affording the necessary flexibility in the feeder for ready securement, generally as shown in Figure of my prior Patent No. 2,104,479. Generally speaking each such form of attachment is old, being illustrated in one or another of my prior patents referred to above, and none is herein claimed per se.

Neither is it important, except as is particularly pointed out hereafter, whether the ruling guide be associated with an overfeeder, with an underfeeder, with a combined underand overfeeder, or with cooperative but separate underand overfeeders. So far as concerns the feeders in their -function as ink reservoirs or flow controllers, and

apart from the mode of their mounting, they are or may be similar to any of the forms shown in the prior art. Except for their cooperative relationship to the ruling guide, as for example in the form of Figure 13, the feeder or feeders constitute merely devices which are commonly or necessarily employed in lettering pens, and which serve as convenient means for incorporating or mounting the ruling guide which is the primary subj ect of this particular invention.

Likewise the pen as illustrated in the drawings may take various forms and shapes, and this, too, is not material to the subject of this invention, which may be adapted for use with any such pens ofnormal or known formation.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, there is illustrated a pen, generally indicated by the numeral 9, having a shank 90, writing tip including the split exible nibs 9 E, and the intermediate pen body 9-2. In the form referred to, pivot ears 93 are struck up from the pen body 92 to receive the pivotally mounted overfeeder or reservoir attachment l, which extends generally from the pivot at IE) to the vicinity of the writing tip 9i.

By slotting the feeder i at IS it is given sucient flexibility for ready engagement of the pivots at I0 within pivot holes in the ears 93. Downwardly turned legs i i cooperate with a rear projection 2| from an underfeeder 2, pivoted in the pen at 20, to hold the two yieldingly in closed position, but to permit them to be thrown back away from the pen for cleaning. Similar slitting of the feeder 2, at 26, assists in its engagement with the pen at the pivots 20. Projecting ears I2 may be engaged by the thumb or finger of the user to throw open the overfeeder I, whereupon the underfeeder 2 may swing open without restraint.

The underfeeder 2 also extends from its pivot 20 to a point adjacent the writing or marking tip 9| of the pen. Adjacent the writing tip the underfeeder 2 is curled upwardly alongside the edge of at least one nib, to dispose its outer surface outwardly of the pen nib. This curled portion of the underfeeder, indicated at 3, constitutes a ruling guide, and should extend along the edge of the pen nib or nibs (not the body portion 92) for a sufficient distance that it will readily engage with the vertical edge of a straightedge or template, such as is indicated at 8 in Figure 1. In other words, the extent, lengthwise of the nibs edge, of the ruling guide 3 is a material portion of the length of such nib edge; this, and the location outside of the nibs exposed edge adjacent the writing tip, are material and distinguishing elements of this invention, in conjunction with absence of restraint to the nibs exibility.

In the form being described, namely, that of Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, a ruling guide 3 is formed directly upon the underfeeder 2, at one side only of the pens nib, but a second ruling guide 3U is likewise arranged to be disposed alongside the opposite nibs outer edge, and to be supported from the reservoir attachment, in this instance the underfeeder 2, by means of a plate 3| pivoted at 32 to the underfeeder 2. By this expedient the ruling guide 3G may be moved inwardly toward the nibs edge or outwardly therefrom, to space the ruling guide 3D by such distance as the user may desire from the edge of the nib, without in the least detracting from the inkholding capacity of the reservoir attachment. Even should the guide 39 contact the nib edge, iiexibility of the nib would be unimpaired, for flexing of the nibs will urge the guide 30 outwardly. The adjustable guide may be designed for either side of the pen, or both, as shown in Figure 3A. In forms where the feeder is pivotally mounted upon the pen, the ruling guide swings with the feeder, as in Figure 3A.

The ruling guide in either form-that is, fixed or adjustable-may be associated with an overfeeder, as shown in Figure 5, instead of with an underfeeder, as in the preceding forms. In Figure 5 the adjustable ruling guide 3D is formed as an element of a plate 33, which is mounted upon the overfeeder l to pivot about a center at `34, whereby the ruling guide 30 may be adjusted outwardly and inwardly with respect to the edge of the pen nib adjacent the writing tip. The feeder is shown as slidably removable from guides 95 in the pen body 92.

In Figures 6 and 7 the overfeeder I and the underfeeder 2 are separately formed, but the underfeeder 2 is provided with two integral ruling guides 3 upturned to lie outside of and spaced outwardly from the opposite edges of the pen's nibs. These members 3 4are ruling guides, and should not be confused with devices previously proposed the sole purpose whereof was to engage and limit the flexibility of the pens nibs. The spacing between these ruling guides and the edges of the pens nibs, as clearly shown in Figure 6, prevents any such limitation of exibility of the writing tip 9i within normal limits. At the same time, if it is desired to effect such limitation, the spacing may be lessened to the extent desired. 1f the pen nibs should be fiexed sufficiently to spread them so that they engage the ruling guides 3, these latter have considerable lateral flexibility and will not unduly limit such flexibility of the nibs.

It will be noted in Figures 6 and 14 that the underfeeder 2 is cut out or slotted, as indicated at 22, upwardly from its tip portion, and this gap 22 increases in width as it approaches the tip. This formation prevents the collection of large drops of ink adjacent and just beneath the pen tip, which might, under some circumstances. escape and form a blot upon the work. The slit also, and particularly if it is extended away from the'tip asin Figure 14, aff-ordssome considerable flexibility to the feeder itself, sothat if the nibs are ever spread tothe point of engagingV the ruling guides 3, these latter will yield' even more freely inv following the ilexi-ng and spreading' of the nibs'.

In Figures 8 andy 9l the ruling guide is shown embodied in a combined over and underfeeder, slidably removable fromV the penas indicated at 95. The overfeeder I' is generally of' normal shape, although slit `inwardly from its` tip,Y at I1', for increased tip flexibility. Adjacent its tipportion itis* bent aroundl the outer edges of the nibs and beneath the nibs to form the separated underfeeder halvesl 23. 'Ihisv affords all the advantages of an underfecder and overfeeder.. and yet the two are formed integrally. When applied there'i's intended to be sufficient spacing between the edges of the nibsand the rulingV guidesV 3 to avoid any undue limiting of exibility of the pen nibs, although withV the added feeder flexibility afforded by the slit I'I/this is largely immaterial, since' the feeder can flex asthe pen nibs flex. The ruling guides 3, as in all forms, are of material extent lengthwise of the nib edges, to afford a smooth guide when crossing and sliding along a straightedge 8.

In Figures and 11 the overfeeder I is slidably secured to they pen as indicated at 95, and adjacent its tip, at least at one edge, is curled downwardly to lie outside the edgev of the nibs ofthe pen, atY least in that portion of the nib edge which otherwise would engage' the straightedge, and thus constitutes a ruling guide 3- of some material lengthwise extent. In Figure 1,2 the arrangement is quite similar to that shown in Figure 10, with the exception, however, that the ruling guide 3 is formed, not by any distinguishable break in the edgel contour of the overfeeder I, but rather by making the overfeeder of ample width near its tip, extending the margin of the overfeeder sufficiently outwardly beyond the edge of the pens nib, and by curling it downwardly outside of this edge sufficiently to form a rolled edge as part of the overfeeder itself, which rolled edge constitutes the ruling guide. This, whilev an extremely simple form is yet eifective.

The hinged mounting and the overfeeder and underfeeder combination of Figures 13` and i4 is similar to the corresponding arrangements illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive. It will be noted, however, that the overfeeder is formed with a local reservoir I8 adjacent the pens tip. This is often required in using heavy inks, to provide a ready supply at all time close to the tip. Such a local reservoir, by reason of manufacturing limitations, must be open at its sides. Were a pen so equipped to be applied to a straightedge the ink therein collected would run out upon the straightedge and blot the work. The ruling guides 3 not only avoid such blotting, but tend to increase somewhat the capacity and usefulness of this local reservoir and of the feeder as a whole, for they lie just outside of and cooperate with the local reservoir I8 and the pin nibs 9i. Flexibility of the nibs is unimpaired, because the\ feeder 2 which mounts the ruling guides 3 is itself slotted far back from its tip, at 22.

As is evident, it is intended that the feeders and ruling guides be normally made of thin sheet metal. This sometimes involves problems of manufacture, and it may happen that such feeders and/or ruling guides can be more readily or more economically made of otherl 1naterials-..--` byl plastic molding processes, for example. Even in such cases, soy far as such technological advances can be foreseen, these elementsV would probably be of thin, sheet-like flexible material in their final' formation. When, therefore, I referherein and hereinafter to sheet material as'the material of which these elementsare formedrI do not intend any restriction'to sheet. metal, nor to manufacturing processes such. asI the` stamp-.- ing and forming of sheet metal, but: employ' the term sheet material as illustrative of: the adopted` forms, such as resemble normal sheet metal formations. Figure. 15 shows. the ruling guides applied to a wide flat pen.

I claim as my invention:

l. A reservoir device for pens. of the split: nibs type, having meansy for movable support'. from the pen body, back from the writing tip, and extending thence along the pen to thev vicinity of such tip as a feeder for ink, and so movable away from such tip for cleaning, and a` ruling guide mounted on said reservoir device and lo.- cated in the vicinity of the tip, and being off a width to extend outwardly beyond and out4 of Contact with the edge of the pen nib. at at. least one side, whereby the flexibility of the nibs is not substantially impaired, such ruling guide being of a length which is a material portion of the length of such nib, and being formed to present to a straightedge a generally uprightly disposed outer surface.

2. A ruling guide for pens of the split nibs type, means pivotally supporting said ruling guide for pivotal movement relative to the pen body, independently of the nibs, into and from an operative position back from theY writing tip, and extending thence along the pen and outward lat.- erally beyond and out of contact with an edge of a nib of the pen throughout a material portion of the length of such nib near its writing tip, whereby the exibility of the nibs is not substantially impaired, such outwardly extending portion being curled about such nib edge to protect the latter from contact with a template or straight edge, and means supported in common with said ruling guide and its support, constituting an ink reservoir for feeding ink to the pen tip.

3. A reservoir device for pens which have flexible nibs, formed for support from the pen body, back from the nibs, and extending thence along the pen to the vicinity of the writing tip asv an ink feeder, separate means formed to extend beyond and along the opposite outer edges of the nibs, and curled about such nib edges throughout a material portion of the length of such edges to constitute a ruling guide at each side, and means supporting said ruling guide means from the reservoir device for relative lateral adjustment thereon to vary the spacing of said separate ruling guide means from the respectively adjacent nib edges.

4. A reservoir device for pens of the flexible nibs type, such reservoir device having means for support from the pen body, back from the writing tip, and extending thence along the pen substantially to such tip as a feeder for ink to such tip, a ruling guide disposed outwardly beyond such portion of the edge of the pens nibs as would otherwise contact a straightedge, and mounted directly upon said feeder for adjustment, inwardly and outwardly, of its spacing from such edge.

5. A reservoir device for pens comprising a first portion formed and arranged for mounting upon the pen, back from its tip, a second portion extending thence substantially to the pens tip, and pivotally mounted upon said first portion for lateral swinging relative thereto and to the pen, said two portions forming an ink retainer extending substantially to the pens tip from said mounting location, and said second portion being formed to extend beyond the pens edge, and there deflected into an upright plane to constitute a ruling guide, and adjustable means interconnecting said second portion and said first portion to enable the ruling guide to be adjustably spaced from the pens edge.

6. In combination with a pen of the split nibs type, a feeder member, means movably mounting said feeder member upon said pe'n at a location spaced appreciably back of its tip, to define an ink reservoir between the pen and said feeder member, a ruling guide projecting laterally from said feeder member, to a location spaced beyond one edge of the pen and out of Contact therewith, and means supporting said ruling guide from said feeder member for lateral adjustment of said ruling guide in relation to the pens edge to vary its spacing therefrom.

7. In combination with a pen of the split nibs type, a feeder member, means pivotally mounting said feeder member upon said pen at a -location spaced appreciably back of its tip, for swinging of said member between a closed position to dene an ink reservoir between the pen and said feeder member, and an open position, swung away from the pen, yieldable resilient means reacting from the pen upon said feeder member, urging it normally toward closed position, a ruling guide carried by and projecting laterally from said feeder member to a location, in the closed position of said feeder member, spaced beyond one edge of the pen and out of contact therewith, and pivot means supporting said ruling guide from said feeder member for lateral swinging adjustment of said ruling guide in relation to the pens edge to vary its spacing therefrom.

8. In combination with a pen, a feeder attachment mounted thereon and extending from the vicinity of the pens writing tip towards its shank, to define therebetween an ink reservoir, a ruling guide separate from and supported on and for movement laterally relative to said feeder attachment, from an operative position adjacent but out of contact with the pen, to a laterally displaced inoperative position.

9. The combination of claim 8, including la mount for the feeder upon the pen constructed and arranged for movement of the feeder from the operative position therein described to an inoperative position, spaced from the pen, for cleaning.

10. A reservoir device for pens of the split nibs type, having means for movable support from the pen body, back from the writing tip, and ex tending thence along the pen to the vicinity of such tip as a feeder for ink, and so movable away from such tip for cleaning, said feeder means extending laterally outward beyond and out of contact with the opposite outer edges of the pens nibs in the vicinity of its tip and being curled about such edges, respectively, to present to a straightedge generally uprightly disposed outer ruling guides, such ruling guides being of a length which is a material portion of the length of such nibs.

11. The reservoir device defined in claim 10, wherein the feeder means formed to present the ruling guides is notched intermediate such 0pposite ruling guides to afford restricted separability of the pen nibs as they flex.

12. The reservoir device defined in claim 10, wherein the feeder means formed to present the ruling guides is longitudinally slit, between the opposite' ruling guides, to afford lateral flexibility to such ruling guides, coincident with flexure of the nibs.

13. The reservoir device defined in claim 10, wherein the feeder means formed to present the ruling guides is notched a material distance back from their tip ends, such notch being formed with edges which diverge toward the pen tip.

14. The reservoir device defined in claim l0, wherein the feeder means is supported under the pen body, as an underfeeder, and means forming an upper overfeeder reservoir distance from the pens tip and a local reservoir adjacent such tip, such local reservoir being located in the vicinity of and between the ruling guides, such ruling guides cooperating with said local reservoir to contain ink from outflow at the sides thereof.

15. The reservoir device defined in claim 14, wherein the overfeeder reservoir is transversely humped adjacent its tip to dene, conjunctively with the pen, the local reservoir between the ruling guides.

ROSS F. GEORGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 454,220 Love June 16, 1891 762,728 Langdon June 14, 1904 931,530 Vaughn Aug. 17, 1909 1,118,031 Magnus Nov. 24, 1914 1,544,161 Kovacs June 30, 1925 2,104,479 George Jan. 4, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,818 Great Britain A. D. 1908 12,760 Great Britain A. D. 1896 260,389 Italy July 1, 1927 384,521 Great Britain Dec. 8, 1932 '730,747 France May 23, 1932 

